haehnel



Oct. 20, 1964 H. E. HAEHNEL 3,153,336

FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 13. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FLE| ..1

INVENTOR. Herbert Hae/me/ H 'ITORNE Y.

Oct. 20, 1964 E. HAEHNEL 3,153,336

FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Herbert 5 Hae/me/ BYA/WZlF/ ATTORNEY.

Oct. 20, 1964 H. E. HAEHNEL FULLr-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES I 5 Shets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 13, 1961 VENTOR. BY Herbe rt 5 Haefine/ Mafi- ATTORNEY.

0, 1964 H. E. H'AEHNEL 3,153,336

FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTO Herbert /-/aeb ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,153,336 FULL-FASHIONED KNITTWG MACHENES Herbert E. l-laehnel, Reading, Pa, assignor to Textiie Machine Works, Wyornissing, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Ian. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 82,539 13 (Ilaims. (CI. 66-82) The present invention relates to full-fashioned knitting machines and more particularly to an improvement in the mechanism for connecting the coulier drive of such machines to the camshaft for operation thereby upon the may be rendered idle during the performance of loop transfer operations and may be again connected to be driven in synchronous relation to the main camshaft for knitting operations following loop transfer, it is conventional practice to drive the coulier cam, the usual motion transmitting means for these parts, from the main camshaft through a single toothed clutch, the cooperating members of which are disconnected as the camshaft is shifted to loop transfer position and which are again engaged as the camshaft is returned to its usual knitting position. conventionally the coulier drive includes a bevel gear freely rotatable on the camshaft and constituting the driven element of the clutch said bevel gear meshing with a second bevel gear of the coulier drive. In order that the sinker slur cock cams and yarn carriers will be maintained in their proper positions at the ends of their strokes while the machine is operating in a loop transfer cycle a brake is conventionally provided suitably comprising a brake band in operating relationship to a brake drum carried by the second bevel gear, the brake being energized upon the shifting of the camshaft to loop transfer position and being tie-energized upon the shifting of the camshaft in the opposite direction.

In high speed machines of the type under discussion it has been found that the abrupt clutching action produced by the known mechanisms has caused undue strain and shock tothe parts with undesirable results. A principle object of the instant invention is the provision in such machines of means to initiate rotation of the driven element of the clutch and hence of the coulier, hereinafter referred to as a coulier starting means, prior to operative engagement of the driving and driven elements of the clutch whereby excessive shock and strain are eliminated,

Another object of the instant invention is the provision in a machine attaining the foregoing object of means for releasing the coulier brake just prior to the operation of the coulier starting means. In accordance with the instant invention the brake releasing means is controlled through a modified brake energizing mechanism to release the brake in an arc of rotation of the camshaft immediately prior to the shifting thereof to knitting position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coulier starting means embodying safety features to insure against operation thereof except at a time immediately prior to normal engagement of the clutch.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof frame.

as is conventional.

ice

which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a coulier clutching mechanism embodying the instant invention, looking from the front of a full-fashioned knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, certain parts being omitted and other parts being shown in different positions relative to FIG. 1;

F164 is a top plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a pattern chain mechanism employed in a full-fashioned knitting machine in which the instant invention is embodied and incorporating a control rod therefor; 7

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the coulier braking mechanism looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the parts being shown in different positions relative to FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line S8 of FIG. 7 in the direction indicated by the arrows and diagrammatically disclosing other relative positions of the parts at different stages in the cycle of operation thereof; and

FIGS. 9 to 13 are views similar to FIG. 7 with the parts being shown in section and in the positions indicated by the radial lines 9 to 13 of FIG. 8.

Referring now to the drawings and particulariy to FIGS. 1 to 4 there is shown a portion of a ful -fashioned knitting machine having the coulier drive and clutching mechanism of the instant invention incorporated therein. The conventional parts include a main camshaft 10 supported in a plurality of bearing members, one such hearing member being shown at 11, carried by the machine The camshaft is arranged to be driven continuously in one direction by suitable means (not shown) during machine operation and further arranged to be shifted axially between knitting and loop transfer positions. As is conventional the shifting of the camshaft to loop transfer position, the loop transfer cycle and the shifting of the camshaft back to loop forming position all take place during one turn of the camshaft. As illustrated in FIG. 1 the camshaft is in the normal knitting position whereby a clutch mechanism indicated generaily at 12 is employed to drive a conventional coulier mechanism (not shown) of the machine from the camshaft 16 through a pair of bevel gears 13 and 14. Shifting of the camshaft from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1 acts to bring the usual narrowing cams into position to perform the loop transferring operations and to disconnect the clutch 12 to interrupt the operation of the coulier means. It will be understood that the shifting of the camshaft is accomplished in a conventional manner through camshaft shifting earns 29 operation of which is controlled by pattern chain mechanism indicated generally at 15 in FIG. 5.

Bevel gear 13 is connected to or preferably formed as an integral part of a driven element 16 of the clutch, the driven element being mounted to rotate freely on the camshaft. The driven element 16 is retained against axial movement with the camshaft by a bearing 11 forming a part of the framework of the machine and which interfits within a groove 39 formed in the driven element The clutch 12 is of the single tooth type and in addition to the driven element 16 comprises a driving element 17 secured to the camshaft 10 for rotative and shifting movements therewith. Driving element 17 is provided with a driving pin or tooth 18 and a locking pin 19 for engagement with shoulders 26 and 27, respectively, on the driven element (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The clutch mechanism per se may be entirely of conventional type but preferably includes the features disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 824,646 filed July 2, 1959, now Patent No. 2,992,549, issued July 18, 1961, to which reference may be made for details of construction and operation.

The coulier drive mechanism as illustrated further includes a coulier brake of generally conventional type and operating on the principle of that disclosed for example in patent to Ianssen No. 801,984, issued October 17, 1905, the brake being shown in FIG. 6 and parts thereof and controls therefor illustrated in other figures. Thus the brake includes a drum 20 secured to or made integral with gear 14. Surrounding brake drum 24B is a brake band 21 carrying a friction lining 22, the band having one end secured to a fixed part of the machine as indicated at 23 and its other end connected to a rockable lever 24. Lever 24 is fixed for rocking movement with a shaft 25 mounted in bearings on a portion of the machine frame. Fixed to the shaft 25 for movement therewith is a substantially U-shaped bracket with the legs of the U supporting a shaft 31 on which a tapered roller 32 is rotatably mounted for rolling contact with an oppositely tapered annulus 33 formed as a portion ofthe driving member 17 of clutch 12. In accordance with the instant invention roller 32 is mounted for axial shifting movement on shaft 31 and annulus 33 is specifically shaped in a portion of its peripheral surface in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter to be described, but in the conventional construction roller 32 is in fixed axial position on the shaft and the conical peripheral surface of the annulus is uninterrupted. However in both the conventional and the modified constructions, as the camshaft is shifted to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, for loop transferring operations the tapered face of annulus 33 presses against the oppositely tapered face of roller 32 and moves the roller downwardly to cause bracket 39 to swing in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 7 (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6) to similarly rotate shaft 25 and cause lever arm 24 to tighten the brake band and exert a braking action whereby rotation of the coulier drive is immediately stopped and held upon release of the clutch. In the conventional construction upon the shifting of the camshaft in the opposite direction bracket 34) and lever arm 24 are turned in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 7 (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6) under the influence of a spring 23 connected between the lever 24 and a fixed part of the machine frame, to reassume the position of FIG. 6 in which the braking action of the brake band 21 is released. In the modification in accordance with the instant invention the return swinging movement of the bracket occurs at a somewhat earlier stage as will be hereinafter described.

As will be understood the conventional clutching and braking mechanisms described above declutch and stop the coulier drive immediately upon the shifting of the camshaft to the loop transfer position and again clutches the coulier drive to the camshaft and release the coulier brake on shifting of the camshaft to the knitting position. However, the clutching operation is an abrupt one because the driving pin 18 of the clutch contracts shoulder 26 on the driven clutch element while the pin is travelling at camshaft speed and the driven element is stationary. As pointed out above a principal object of the instant invention is to provide means to start rotation of the driven element 16 and hence of the coulier just prior to 'the contact of pin 18 with shoulder 26 to eliminate the excessive shock and strain on the machine parts produced by the known mechanism.

For the attainment of this object the driven element 16 of the clutch is provided with a shoulder 34 (see FIG. 3) suitably defined by an outer face of a striking block secured in a notch 36. A pawl lever 40, having a hooked pawl end 41 adapted for cooperation with shoulder 34, is mounted for rocking movement on a pivot pin 42 carried by a lever 43. Lever 43 is rockably mounted on a shaft 44 supported in bearing portions of a bracket 45 from a front beam 46 of the machine frame. Pawl lever 40 includes a lever arm 47 extending therefrom at the opposite side of the pivot 42 from the hook end 41. A spring 48 having one end secured to lever arm 47 and the other end to a pin 49 on lever 43 tends to urge the pawl in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 to move the hook end 41, when permitted to do so by control devices hereinafter to be described, behind shoulder 34 for pulling contact therewith. Cooperating stops 37 and 38 on the bracket 45 and lever 43, respectively, limit the inward swinging movement of the lever. A follower roller 50 is mounted for rotation on a pin 51 extending laterally from the lever and toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, the pin in turn being adjustably secured to the lever 43 by conventional means generally indicated at 52. Mounted on the driving member 17 of the clutch in a position opposite follower 50 is a cam segment 53 the cam segment having a roller contacting face of suflicient width to maintain operative contact with the roller in both shifted positions of camshaft 10. Lever 43 is urged in a counterclockwise direction to engage the follower roller 51) and cam segment 53 by a spring 62 secured at one end to the upper end of lever 43 and at the other end to the machine frame.

The positions of the shoulder 34 and the cam segment 53 are so correlated that the follower roller will ride up the cam and cause the hook end 41 of pawl lever 40 to exert a pull on the driven element 16 of the clutch just prior to engagement of the driving and driven clutch elements whereby the driven element will have started its rotation by the time such engagement takes place. Pawl lever 40 must however be maintained out of engagement with shoulder 34 and in position to avoid contact with the driven member at all other times. The mechanisms and their controls for this purpose will now be described. 7

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket 45 has an upwardly extending arm 54 terminating in a horizontally extending bearing 55 in which is secured a pivot pin 56. Mounted for free rotation on pin 56 between the bearing 55 and a collar 58 secured to the pin, is a pair of levers 59 and 60 with lever 60 being bent to place its upper end portion in the plane of lever 59. Lever 59 has a downwardly extending arm 66 with its lower end held against a stop 68 fixed on a pattern rod 69 by a spring 67 connected between the arm and a collar 57 secured on the rod. Pattern rod 69 (see particularly FIG. 5) is one of the rods forming part of the conventional pattern mechanism of a full-fashioned knitting machine and its movements are controlled by engagement of a pattern lever 70 with buttons (not shown) on the pattern chain in a known manner whereby the rod may be shifted longitudinally at any desired point in the operation of the machine. As will be understood the pattern rod 69 is shifted to the left under the influence of a button on the pattern chain to cause clockwise rotation of lever 59 and the rod is shifted to the right under the influenceof a spring (not shown) connected between the rod and the machine frame to return the lever to its position of FIG. 1. An upwardly extending arm 71 of lever 59 includes an end 72 laterally projecting toward lever 60 and carrying a roller 73 adapted to overlie lever arm 47 at certain times as will be hereinafter referred to. Lever 60 includes an end 74 projecting laterally toward lever arm 71 and carrying a roller 75 also adapted to overlie lever arm 47 at certain times. It will be noted that projecting end 74 of lever 60 and roller 75 carried thereby are at a slightly lower level than projecting end 72 and roller 73 of arm 71. Arm 71 of lever 59 carries an adjustable stop screw 61 in position to contact lever 60. Lever 60 is urged toward lever 59 by a spring 76 connected at oneend to the lever 60 and at the other end to the outer end of a stud 77 carried by an upwardly extending arm 78 of the bearing 55. Pawl lever 40 has a second lever arm 79 adapted to contact an adjustable stop screw 80 threaded in the upper end of arm 78, stop screw 80 serving to swing the pawl lever 46 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, at certain times as will be later explained.

Lever 59 has an arm 81 extending substantially horizontally and inwardly therefrom which carries a stud 82 adapted to be received in an eye formed in one end of an adjustable link 83. An eye formed in the lower or other end of the adjustable link receives a stud 34 threadably carried in one arm 85 of a lever 86 mounted for rocking movement on shaft 44 adjacent lever 43. Lever 86 has a second arm 87 (see FIG. 2) projecting upwardly and carrying an adjustable stop 38. Stop 88 is adapted to contact a shoulder 89 (see FIG. 3) on driven clutch element 16 when the lever arm 87 is rocked to position the stop beneath the shoulder. Shoulder 89 is so positioned relatively to shoulder 34 that contact of shoulder 89 with stop 88 stops the clutch element 16, when the elements 16 and 17 are declutched, and positions shoulder 34 for immediate contact with pawl lever 40 when the latter is in its operative position.

The operation of the coulier starting mechanism in accordance with the instant invention, as so far described,

will now be explained. When the camshaft is in the knitting position, i.e. shifted to the left as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, hook end 41 is maintained in an elevated position out of contact with shoulder 34 by the overlying relationship of roller 75 of lever 60 to the arm 47,

roller 75 having attained this position at the completion of the last loop transferring cycle as will appear hereafter. 'At this time lever 59 is in the position shown in FIG. -1 with its roller 73 removed from its overlying relationship to lever arm 47 and with its lever arm 81 at its limit of movement in a counterclockwise direction with the result that lever arm 87 is at the limit of its 'Iocking movement in a clockwise direction with stop 88 out of position to be contacted by shoulder 89, all as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. At the time that a button on the pattern chain initiates shifting of the camshaft to its loop transferring position, which occurs as the camshaft rotates through the final portion of a knitting cycle, a second button on the pattern chain causes pattern rod 69 to shift endwise to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 rotating lever 59 in a clockwise direction. As

arm 71 of lever 59 moves clockwise stop screw 61 contacts lever 60 and forces roller 75 from its overlying relationship to lever arm 47 against the tension of spring 76. At the same time roller 73 moves into overlying relationship with lever arm 47 and takes over the function of retaining lever arm 47 in a depressed position 'and pawl lever 40 in a raised inoperative position, the

slight swinging of the pawl lever permitted by the somewhat elevated position of roller 73 with respect to roller 75 being insufficient to materially affect the position of 'the hook end 41. Simultaneously with the movement of roller 73 into holding position with respect to lever "arm 47, arm 87 of lever 86 is rocked in a counterclock- "wise direction to position stop 88 in the path of shoulder 'roller 73 of lever 59. As the camshaft continues to "rotate the machine operates'through a narrowing cycle and near the end of this cycle the pattern chain is again racked in preparation for the shifting of the camshaft to its knitting position and to permit pattern rod 69 to be shifted to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, under the influence of its spring as hereinbefore set forth. Shifting of the pattern rod to the right rocks lever 59 in a counterclockwise direction to withdraw roller 73 from its posi tion overlying lever arm 47 and rocks arm 87 of lever 86 in a clockwise direction to again assume the position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 out of the path of'shoulder 89. Inasmuch as roller '73 of lever 59 maintained lever arm 47 at a slightly higher elevation than roller of lever 60 the face of roller 75 moves against the side of lever arm 4'7 and is unable to move into overlying relationship thereto. As a result lever arm 47 is released and pawl lever 40 rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, under the tension of spring 48 to bring hook end 41 behind and in substantial contact with shoulder 34. At this time cam follower 50 is at a low point of cam 53. As the camshaft continues to rotate cam segment 53 engages and forces follower 59 outwardly as the follower travels up the inclined surface of the cam segment, rocking lever 43 in a clockwise direction and causing hook end 41 to exert a pull against shoulder 34 and start rotation of driven clutch element 16. In the meantime shifting of the camshaft from the transfer to the knitting position is under way and it will be understood that the starting action of pawl lever 46 occurs just prior to the engagement of the driving pin 18 with the cooperating shoulder 26 on the driven element. As the cam follower roller 50 approaches the high point of cam segment 53 lever 43 is rocked to the extent that lever arm 79 on the pawl lever 49 contacts stop screw and, upon continued rota= tion of the cam segment to bring its high point opposite follower roller 50, the coaction of stop screw 80 and lever arm 79 causes pawl lever 40 to rotate in a clockwise direction to lift the hook end 41 from its position behind shoulder 34 and to depress lever arm 4-7. When follower roller 56 is at the high point of the cam segment the depression of lever arm 47 is such that its upper edge is below the level of roller 75 of lever 69 whereupon spring 76 causes lever 60 to rock in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 to again position its roller 75 over lever arm 47 and retain pawl lever 40 in its upper or inoperative position. At this point the several parts are again in their positions as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, shifting of the camshaft has been completed, and the machine is in its knitting condition.

The shaft starting operation of the coulier starter, described above, takes place before the camshaft has shifted to the position normally required to release the coulier brake. However as the brake must be released to permit the coulier starter to operate a special construction of the brake control is employed to provide for such earlier release as will now be described.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 7 to 13 inclusive, roller 32, constituting an element of the control mechanism for the brake is, in contrast to conventional practice, supported on its shaft 31 for shifting movement along said shaft as previously pointed out. The roller is yieldably urged toward its outer limit of such movement, defined by one leg 93 of bracket 39, by a spring 94 mounted on the shaft 31 between the roller 32 and a shouldered portion 95 of the bracket. Also in accordance with the instant invention annulus 33 (see particularly FIG. 8) has a portion of the periphery thereof formed with a first flat 96 and a second fiat 97, flats 96 and 97 being adjoining and lying in planes at angles to the axis of the camshaft approximately corresponding to that of the peripheral face of annulus 33 on the conventional portion thereof. While flat 96 extends the width of the annulus it is not essential that flat 97 do so, as will be noted hereafter, and consequently for purposes of convenience in the machining thereof the flat may extend 'FIG. 11, or in full lines in FIG. 1.

only part way across the face to leave a non-functional flange 100 (FIGS. 8, and 11). Annulus 33 is cut away adjacent its inner face, the left hand face as viewed in FIG. 12, to provide an inclined camming plane surface 101 sloping radially toward the outer or right hand face of the annulus and extending to the periphery of the annulus. The inner edge, i.e. the edge toward the camshaft, of camming surface 101 is defined by a chord 102 extending from a point adjacent the juncture of flats 96 and 97 to a point on the periphery of the annulus remote therefrom.

During knitting operation of the machine with the camshaft rotating and shifted to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 roller 32 is in the relationship to annulus 33 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6 and shaft 25 and bracket 30 are at the limit of their rocking movement in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 with the brake released. At this time a stop screw 98 (FIG. 7) carried by an arm 103 of bracket 30 is in contact with a shoulder 99 formed on the machine frame. When the camshaft is shifted to the right to loop transferring position (FIGS. 7 to 12) the conventional portion of the peripheral surface of annulus 33 is opposite roller 32 and causes it to be depressed with subsequent clockwise rocking of bracket 30 and the energizing of the brake all as previously described. This rocking movement of bracket 30 moves stop 98 away from the shoulder 99 to the position shown in FIG. 7. As the narrowing cycle nears completion the modified portion of the annulus rim defined by flats 06 and 97 and camming surface 101 are approaching roller 32. As flat 96 moves opposite roller 32 into the position illustrated in FIG. 9 the roller and its supporting structure moves upwardly sufficiently to partially release the brake. Brake release then continues to completion as the roller and bracket further swing in a counterclockwise direction with the roller riding down flat 96 and onto flat 97 (FIG. 10) until the bracket has rocked sufficiently to bring stop screw 98 against shoulder 99. As the camshaft continues to rotate the point of flat 97 indicated by the line 11 of FIG. 8 is brought opposite roller 32 but inasmuch as bracket 30 is held by stop 98 against further counterclockwise movement the periphery of the annulus at flat 97 is separated from the periphery of the roller this separation reaching a maximum when the annulus and roller are in the relative positions shown in full lines in FIG. 11. It will be noted that during the operation above described roller 32 is held against leg 93 of the bracket 30 by spring 94, the reduction in the length of the line of contact between the annulus and roller, as observed by a comparison of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, being 'due solely to the counterclockwise rocking of shaft 25 and roller 32. Upon continued rotation of the camshaft and annulus, roller 32 again contacts the annulus 33 this contact taking place on camming surface 101 (FIG. 12). As rotation of the camshaft continues camming surface 101 cams roller 32 downwardly on its shaft 31 away from leg 93 and against the action of spring 94 until, as the roller rides off the camming surface, it is behind the annulus as illustrated in FIG. 13. The roller remains in this position during continued rotation of the camshaft, the shifting movement of the camshaft to knitting position being completed in the meantime, until the roller and annulus again approach the relationship of FIG. 11 with the roller out of contact with the annulus whereupon spring 94 forces or snaps the roller axially past the annulus to the limit of its movement outwardly as determined by leg 03 of bracket 30. At this time the annulus is positioned relatively to the roller as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Non-functional flange 100 opposite flat 97 is cut off sufiiciently to be out of the way of roller 32 during its axial movement. It will be understood that the positions of the flats 96 and 97 of annulus 33 are so correlated to the coulier 8 starter operation that the brake is released just prior to or substantially simultaneously with the start of rotation of the driven member by pawl lever 40.

The brake releasing means described above is employed for an additional function, namely, the operation of a safety device to insure that lever arm 87 will be held with its stop 88 out of position to contact shoulder 89 during knitting cycles. For this purpose an extending end of shaft 25 supports a lever mounted for free rotation thereon, lever 105 including an arm 106 having an end 107 adapted, when the lever is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7, to lie behind lever arm 87 when the latter is in its inoperative position at the limit of its clockwise rocking movement, as viewed in FIG. 2, whereby it is maintained in such position. Lever 105 includes a second downwardly extending arm 108 yieldably held against an adjustable stop 109 by a spring 110 having one end connected to the arm 108 and the other to a pin 111 on bracket 30. When the bracket 30 is turned clockwise (FIG. 7) to exert a braking action on the coulier drive, as hereinbefore set forth, lever 105 is also turned clockwise to move arrn 106 and end 107 thereof to an inactive position out of the path of arm 87. At the point in the operation of the brake release at which roller 32 has traversed the flats 96 and 97 sulficiently to permit bracket 30 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to the extent permitted by the stop screw 98 (FIG. 11), lever 105 is rotated on shaft 25 to bring end 107 to its active position behind lever arm 87 which at this point in the operation has been rocked into its inoperative position by lever 50. The end 107 of lever 105 will remain in this position, to exert its function of a safety -means to insure that stop 88 will be out of the path of shoulder 89, until the camshaft is again shifted to loop transfer position.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a camshaft shiftable axially between knitting and loop transfer positions, a clutch comprising rotatably driven and driving elements mounted on said camshaft and adapted to be engaged for joint rotation with said camshaft when said camshaft is in knitting position and to be disengaged with said driven element stationary when said camshaft is in said loop transfer position, the improvement comprising means to start rotation of said driven element prior to engagement of said driving and driven elements comprising a shoulder on said driven element, a drive means for engagement with said shoulder and adapted for oscillation through shoulder advancing strokes, means for oscillating said drive means through said strokes, and means independent of said camshaft for normally holding said drive means out of engagement with said shoulder said last named means comprising a first means operable to disable said drive means when said camshaft is in knitting position, and a second means operable to disable said drive meanswhen said camshaft is in loop transfer position, and pattern controlled means for shifting said second disabling means to an inoperative position prior to said engagement of the driving and driven crutch elements.

2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second disabling means are mounted for individual and conjoint movement and said second disabling means includes means for moving said first disabling means to an inoperative position upon movement of said second disabling means to operative position.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 1 wherein there is stop means movable between an inoperative position and an operative position to position said shoulder for engagement by said drive means upon an advancing stroke thereof and wherein there is means under the control of said second disabling means to move said stop means between said positions.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 3 wherein there is holding means independent of said disabling means movable between an active position to hold said stop means in inoperative position when said camshaft is in said knitting position and an inactive position, and there is means for moving said holding means to inactive position to permit movement of said stop means to said operative position when said camshaft is in said transfer position.

5. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a rotatable camshaft shiftable axially between knitting and loop transfer positions, a clutch mounted on said shaft and comprising driving and driven elements adapted to be engaged for joint rotation with said camshaft when said camshaft is in knitting position and to be disengaged when said camshaft is in loop transfer position, and brake means operable to stop and hold said driven element against rotation upon said shifting of the camshaft to loop transfer position, the improvement comprising means to start rotation of said driven element prior to engagement of said driving and driven elements, and means to release said brake substantially simultaneously with the operation of said starting means.

6. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 5 in which said brake means includes an operating means comprising a member rockable between brake energizing and brake releasing positions, a second member carried by said camshaft adapted to rock said first member to brake energizing position upon shifting of said camshaft to loop transfer position and said means to release said brake substantially simultaneously with the operation of said starting means comprises said second member.

7. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 6 in which said first member comprises a first disk having a tapered annular peripheral surface, a rockable shaft supporting said first disk, and said second member comprises a disk having an opposite tapered annular surface, means supporting said second disk on said camshaft for rotational and shifting movements therewith, said second disk being adapted for peripheral contact with said first disk whereby, upon said shifting movement of said shaft to loop transfer position, said second disk rocks said shaft to energize said brake means, and in which said means to release said brake comprises an interruption in the annular peripheral surface of said second disk.

8. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 6 in which said first member comprises a first disk having a tapered annular peripheral surface and there is a rockable shaft supporting said disk and means connecting said shaft to said brake for energizing said brake upon working movements of said shaft in one direction, and said second member comprises a second disk having an oppositely tapered annular peripheral surface carried by said camshaft for shifting and rotational movements therewith, said first and second disks being so correlated that upon shifting of the camshaft to loop transfer position contact between the oppositely tapered peripheral surfaces of said disk forces said rockable shaft in said one direction, and in which said second disk has means on the annular peripheral surface thereof permitting rocking movement of the first disk and the rockable shaft in an opposite direction to release the brake.

9. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 8 in which said means on the annular peripheral surface of said second disk comprises a flat thereon.

10. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a rotatable camshaft shiftable axially between knitting and loop transferring positions, a clutch mounted on said camshaft and comprising driving and driven elements adapted to be engaged for joint rotation with said camshaft when said camshaft is in knitting position and to be disengaged when said camshaft is in loop transferring position, stop means, means for moving said stop means between an inoperative position and an operative position to engage and stop said driven element in predetermined position when said driving and driven elements are disen gaged, braking means for said driven element, holding means, means for moving said holding means between an active position to hold said stop means in said inoperative position and an inactive position to permit movement of said stop means to operative position to stop said driven element.

11. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for moving said holding means acts to move said holding means to said inactive position when said braking means is operated to hold said driven element and to move said holding means to said active position when said braking means is operated to release said driven element.

12. In a full-fashioned knitting machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for moving said holding means between said active and inactive positions comprises said operating means for said braking means.

13. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a camshaft shiftable axially between knitting and loop transfer positions, a clutch comprising rotatably driven and driving elements mounted on said camshaft and adapted to be engaged for joint rotation when said camshaft is in knitting position and to be disengaged with said driven element stationary when said camshaft is in loop transfer position, the improvement comprising means to start rotation of said driven element prior to engagement of said driving and driven elements comprising a first shoulder on said driven element, drive means comprising a pawl adapted for oscillation through shoulder advancing strokes, means rockably mounting said pawl for movement between an operative position to engage said shoulder and an inoperative position, means for oscillating said pawl through said strokes, means for normally holding said pawl out of engagement with said shoulder comprising an extending end on said pawl, a first latch operative to overlie said extending end of said pawl when said camshaft is in knitting position and a second latch operative to overlie said extending end when said camshaft is in loop transfer position, and pattern control means for shifting said second latch to its inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,175,184 Eissner Oct. 10, 1939 2,335,695 Wilders et al Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,155,662 France Dec. 2, 1957 717,806 France Oct. 26, 1931 722,321 France Dec. 29, 1931 200,153 Great Britain June 25, 1923 

13. IN A FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CAMSHAFT SHIFTABLE AXIALLY BETWEEN KNITTING AND LOOP TRANSFER POSITIONS, A CLUTCH COMPRISING ROTATABLY DRIVEN AND DRIVING ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID CAMSHAFT AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED FOR JOINT ROTATION WHEN SAID CAMSHAFT IS IN KNITTING POSITION AND TO BE DISENGAGE WITH SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT STATIONARY WHEN SAID CAMSHAFT IS IN LOOP TRANSFER POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS TO START ROTATION OF SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT OF SAID DRIVING AND DRIVEN ELEMENTS COMPRISING A FIRST SHOULDER ON SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT, DRIVE MEANS COMPRISING A PAWL ADAPTED FOR OSCILLATION THROUGH SHOULDER ADVANCING STROKES, MEANS ROCKABLY MOUNTING SAID PAWL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OPERATIVE POSITION, TO ENGAGE SAID SHOULDER AND AN INOPERATIVE POSITION, MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID PAWL THROUGH SAID STROKES, MEANS FOR NORMALLY HOLDING SAID PAWL OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER COMPRISING AN EXTENDING END ON SAID PAWL, A FIRST LATCH OPERATIVE TO OVERLIE SAID EXTENDING END WHEN SAID CAMSHAFT IS IN LOOP TRANSFER POSITION, AND PATTERN CONTROL MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID SECOND LATCH TO ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION. 